Governance rules

Governance rules establish who owns content decisions, how to contribute, how changes get approved, and when updates happen across your design system. They prevent content chaos by defining clear processes for creation, review, and maintenance. Without governance, even the best guidelines become outdated or ignored as teams grow.

Effective governance structures include:

• Clear ownership models (who maintains voice guides, who approves new patterns)
• Review cycles and update schedules (quarterly audits, annual guideline updates)
• Escalation paths for conflicts or edge cases
• Version control processes for tracking changes
• Training requirements for new team members